


When You Walked In

by i_amthecosmos



Series: The Small Town Series [1]
Category: Bandom, One Direction
Genre: 80's AU, American AU, Anal Sex, Blowjobs, Can't believe I mixed 1D and bandom, Homophobia, M/M, genderqueer harry, past Liam/Andy Hurley relationship, small town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 06:01:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4553457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_amthecosmos/pseuds/i_amthecosmos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam was a Marine, emphasis on 'was'. After he's thrown out, he finds himself on the road. When he stops at a small gay bar in the middle of nowhere, another young man takes an interest in him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When You Walked In

**Author's Note:**

> This is for my h/c bingo card, prompt is "ostracised from society". I went gay history on this one, trying to set the scene without actually saying exactly what year it is. Magdalyna helped me out by suggesting Andy Hurley from Fall Out Boy as the superior officer. Now let's all giggle picturing him in the Armed Forces.

Liam walked into the bar and had to squint to see his way around. The lights were very dim, with neon lighting up corners here and there. There were lights over the pool tables, and a very small dance floor with a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Madonna was playing, loud but not loud enough to discourage conversation, which seemed to be the main point behind this place. Liam found his way to the bar.

“Shot of Jack, please.” The bartender looked him over, probably realizing he’d never seen him before. “Hey, I’m Liam.” The bartended nodded and got him his shot, giving it to him with a smile and a little wink. Liam nodded his head politely, not knowing what else to do.

“There you are Liam, that’ll be two-fifty. And I’m Bob” Liam paid him and stuffed a dollar into the nearest tip jar. Bob moved on to other people, even reaching across the bar to hug a large guy in a tank top. It seemed like a friendly place, Liam thought, and then he downed the shot. It made his eyes water, but it put the nasty thoughts in his head back a little further. He let it burn down to his stomach, and then thought about ordering another one. 

“Hey.” 

Liam blinked, there was someone sitting next to him. A very nice looking someone, a slight man in a pink Polo with brown hair swept over one of his blue eyes. There was a streak of blond in the front. He thought that his eyes must be adjusting because he could see this young man just fine. “Hey. I was thinking of getting another shot of whiskey.”

The other man looked at his shot glass as if studying it, then hmmm’d. “I say you get a beer instead. Then I can get one, and we can talk over them. That’s what I would like to happen, anyway. Would you be okay with that?” 

Liam looked at the man for a second. He liked the way the other man looked him right in the eye, not shy at all. He was wearing eyeliner too-cheeky. “Alright, suit yourself,” Liam said, and he signaled Bob. “Two beers please,” he said when Bob made it back over to him, and then there was a short discussion about what kind of beer his new friend would like. Liam didn’t care, he just got whatever was draft.

“Thank you,” the man said. “I wasn’t actually fishing for you to pay for it, but that’s very nice. I can get the next two. I’m Louis, by the way. And your accent is cute.”Liam nodded, and after a minute realized that Louis was waiting for him to say something. 

“Oh. I’m Liam. Sorry about that. And yeah, my mum was English, I was born in America though, full citizen. I just talk like her.” He was having trouble concentrating on what was happening, on someone being nice to him. It had been a long week, and there hadn’t been much of that. “I’m new in town. Is this the place to go?”

“That’s right, only gay bar in town. Although if you’re in the mood for a more fancy dance club, Atlanta is only a couple of hours away. Might be worth it for a weekend. Are you planning to stay here long?” 

Liam sipped his beer. “I don’t really know,” he said. “I pointed my car in a direction and kept driving.” Louis looked at him and nodded, and then didn’t ask him to elaborate further. Liam was starting to like this guy. “I might be looking for temporary work. You know anyone who needs construction or roofing help?”

“I’m a hairdresser, not my department. Ask Bob, he owns a construction business. I’d offer to give you a welcome-to-town haircut, but you’re already shorn pretty close.” Liam ran a hand over his buzz cut. It was growing in a little. “I’m glad when people from out of down come through. I love this place, but seeing the same faces every night can get boring.”

“It seems nice to me,” Liam said. “Having a place where you know you belong.” Louis looked surprised at that, and then broke out into a grin. Liam couldn’t help himself, he smiled back at him, and that seemed to make Louis happier.

“Thank you,” Louis said. “But, one of the problems with everyone knowing each other is everyone knows how annoying I can be. Be forewarned, I am the kind of guy that will twist your nipples for a joke. I can’t help it.” 

“I don’t know how well I would take that,” Liam said and got another sip of beer. His reflexes had been very carefully honed, and if he felt threatened he might do something he would regret just out of sheer instinct. He wasn’t about to say all that, though. Louis took a swig of beer too. 

“You’re on the quiet side,” he said, and Liam nodded his agreement. “But you seem nice enough. Do you want to go back to my place?” Liam looked at him, wide-eyed. He didn’t know why, but he hadn’t expected Louis to just ask. “Or is that a no?”

Liam tried to recover. “I’d like to. But how about mine? Well, it’s just the motel near the highway, but.” Liam would just rather sleep where his stuff was, it made him more comfortable. “Is that all right? I can understand if you didn’t want to.”

Louis smiled then, and Liam could see his tiny sharp teeth, like a fierce but small cat. “No that’s fine, perfect. I was starting to think you weren’t interested.” Liam gave him a small smile back. 

“Just a moment, I want to talk to Bob about the construction work,” he said, and when Bob next came around he had a brief conversation with him, whispering in each other’s ears. After a minute, Liam looked back at Louis. “He says to come over tomorrow in the afternoon, when it isn’t busy. He says he will be there most likely and I can show him my ID.” Liam had a driver’s ID, but also his old one, the one that was no longer valid. “Let’s finish our beers and go.”

“Excellent,” Louis said, and he drank the rest of his beer quickly. Liam finished most of his, then got off the bar stool, putting an arm around Louis as they walked towards the front door. “Wait a minute,” Louis said, and he stopped in front of a safe sex poster tacked to the wall. He pulled Liam in and stretched up to kiss him. Liam bent down to meet him, putting a hand on Louis’ plush little ass. When they pulled apart, Louis smiled his feral little smile again. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

Liam drove them to the hotel he was staying at. Louis turned the radio on and sang along to the songs he liked. The hotel wasn’t that far, and Liam was glad for it even though he hadn’t had that much to drink. When they got there, Louis stood close to him as Liam unlocked the door. “If you plan to stay for a while, there’s some decent, cheap apartments in town. Better than this dump.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Liam said, shutting the door behind them. He put the key on the end table, and went over to Louis, putting his arms around him. Louis kissed him easily, and Liam welcomed the feel of his body, how slim it was. “I wanna fuck you, is that alright? I have condoms.” He’d grabbed a couple from the jar at the bar’s front desk. 

“You gonna get me ready first? Make sure I’m ready for you. I can’t be sure, but I think that’s a pretty big cock you’ve got in your pants.” Liam couldn’t help himself, he laughed, and Louis laughed too, then came in for another kiss. “Good. You look so serious most of the time.”

“Sorry,” Liam said. He was, he knew he shouldn’t be so stoic, but he couldn’t help it, it had been trained into him. He decided to move on with the night and took his shirt off. Louis watched him, and Liam didn’t blush, he didn’t get embarrassed if men saw him naked anymore. When he was fully naked, he looked over at Louis. “Your turn.”

“Take them off for me.” Louis sat on the bed and Liam kneeled down, getting his sneakers and socks off, then helped Louis out of his pants. Louis look off his shirt, and looked up at Liam, his expression hungry. “Can I suck your cock?” Liam moved a bit closer to where Louis was, and Louis grinned as he took his cock in hand and licked the tip. 

Liam watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, putting a hand on the back of Louis’ head. He didn’t push or try to lead him, he just held it as Louis moved his soft lips over his dick, taking him further each time. After a few minutes, Liam said “Okay, that’s enough. I need to get you ready now. Do you still want to?”

“Yes.” Louis slid further up on the bed, spreading his legs apart. “Like this or do you want me on my hands and knees?” Liam thought about it. With him doggy style, Liam wouldn’t see his face. But if he didn’t, that meant he could pretend it was someone else, and he didn’t want that. 

“With you facing me, if that’s all right.” Liam went to get the lube from the suitcase he still had open on the floor, and got on the bed, lying between Louis’ spread legs. He kissed Louis’ thigh, getting a small moan out of him. “Glad you like that. Some people don’t like to kiss.” He’d met at least one of them.

“Fine with me,” Louis said, and Liam grinned as he lubed up his finger. He pressed it in, mouthing Louis’ balls as he did it. Louis made a high-pitched noise that time, and Liam tried not to laugh. “Oh god, I could feel you laughing against my balls, vibration, you bastard.” Liam pulled off and giggled again, and Louis huffed. “Get on with it!”

“Shush, I’m trying to.” Liam moved the finger he had inside Louis, slowly pushing it in and out. He looked back up at Louis, who was holding one of his legs up and had quieted down. Liam kept fucking him with the one finger, until Louis made an impatient noise. “Okay, if you’re ready,” Liam said, and he pressed in the second one.

It seemed to go faster after that. Soon Louis was saying “Okay, fine, fine, get in me” and Liam pulled his fingers out. Louis sat up and got the condom, putting it on Liam. Liam lubed up and moved over Louis, trying to press his way in. “Come on, come on-yes, like that,” Louis panted in his ear. Liam pushed inside him, and balanced himself over Louis. Louis slid a leg over his back, and Liam grunted. 

They fucked slowly, Louis touching Liam a lot. It was a bit more than he was used to, with a stranger, but he didn’t mind. Louis seemed like an affectionate person. Liam fucked into him steadily while Louis wound his arms around Liam’s shoulders. After a while, Louis said “I’m close,” and Liam put a hand on Louis’ cock, stroking him. Louis came soon after that, scratching down Liam’s back. “Oh,” Louis said, and he flopped down on the bed.

Liam kept pumping inside of him, holding one of Louis’ legs up. When he felt himself get close, He leaned down and kissed Louis. It was sloppy and off-center, but Louis whimpered into it. When Liam was done, he broke the kiss so he could pull out, holding on to the condom. “Be back,” he whispered, and went to the bathroom. He was back with a washcloth a couple of minutes later, and he wiped Louis off.

“That was great,” Louis said, and Liam tensed. Was Louis going to leave now? He didn’t have his own car, Liam had drove, but he could call a friend. Liam didn’t expect much anymore, but he would still like for this friendly person to stick around, at least until tomorrow.

But then Louis leaned up for a kiss. “Come back to bed. If you don’t mind, I’d like to sleep here. I have to be at work early-ish tomorrow. You don’t have to give me a ride, I can call someone-“

“Wake me up,” Liam said and Louis grinned, then curled on his side, facing away from Liam. Liam laid on his back, the mattress a bit too soft, but he was used to sleeping anywhere. He heard his new friend sigh and then Louis’ breath evened out. Liam felt himself relax, and soon, he was out. 

“Liam? Liam!”

Liam felt hot, he felt hot pressure all around him, he was sweating, and someone grabbed his arm, shaking it. He didn’t think, but he moved until the person who touched him was on his back and Liam had an arm against his shoulders, pinning him. “Liam! It’s me, it’s just me, it’s Louis. Don’t hurt me.” 

Liam blinked and then saw his trick was there with Liam’s arm nearly on his neck. Liam pulled back, then got off the bed. “Sorry! I’m sorry. I think I was having a nightmare.” He couldn’t remember most of it, but he knew something had been going on. Louis reached over and turned on the lamp.

“I know you were having a nightmare, you started thrashing around and moaning. You sounded like you were talking to someone. And you said you were sorry, a lot.” Liam flushed then and Louis sat up, facing him. “You didn’t hurt me, I’m fine. The Marines gave you some insane reflexes, didn’t they?”

“How did you know I was a Marine?” Liam wasn’t angry, not after the split-second response to a strange voice, but he was baffled. “I didn’t tell you.” He was sure of that.

“I knew when I first saw you,” Louis said. “One, you still have a Marine buzz cut, even though it’s growing in. Two, you move like a Marine. Three, the Marine base isn’t that terribly far, and you said you’d been driving a while. So, what happened?” 

Liam moved slowly, sitting down next to Louis. Louis didn’t flinch back, he didn’t seem to be frightened, and Louis decided to tell him. “They threw me out. I was having an affair with my superior officer, and I got caught somehow when they did a sweep to get the faggots out. My officer wasn’t found out, just me and a few guys I barely even knew. I don’t know how they got me.”

“Do you think it was your superior?” Liam felt Louis’ warm hand on his back. He looked over at Louis, and he was looking serious, sympathetic. His eyeliner was smudged, but it only made him look better.

“I don’t know. I thought he would stand up for me. But far as I know, he never said anything in my defense. He was like my mentor, more than anything else. I was in love with him, but…I’m not now. And when they threw me out, they sent a letter to my parents, and they told me not to come back.” Liam had to let out a long shaky breath there. “I lost everything. But I had some money saved and my car, so I just started driving. I thought I might wind up in Atlanta or Florida, somewhere.” 

“Yeah. You could go anywhere though, why the South? I mean, I live here myself, so I’m not saying you shouldn’t. But you could go to New York, California. There’s a lot of places. It’s one of the few good things about having nothing to lose. Lots of choices.” Louis rubbed down Liam’s back, and Liam closed his eyes.

“I don’t know. I didn’t really think about it. I just wanted to get as far away from the base as I could. And I guess…my family would take us to Florida when I was a kid. It’s stupid.” He thought about the beach, and how he’d loved it as a child. He thought about his mother putting suntan lotion on his back, and how he’d probably never see her again. Maybe he shouldn’t go to the beach after all.

“It’s not stupid, and you can go there if you like. But stay here a while. Bob can probably find you work, and for a small town it’s not bad. There’s lots of gay people here, we take care of each other.” Liam shook his head. “Why not?”

“Because I’m a mess. I almost strangled you just now, and you don’t even seem to care. That could’ve turned out badly for you, and you were just trying to help. I’m angry, I’m upset, and I lost the only thing I was good at. I was in the Marines for four years. It was what I was.” He thought about Hurley, and that twisted his gut even more. “I should just go live alone, not see anyone.”

“No. That’s what they want you to do.” Louis’ voice was sharper then, angry, and Liam looked at him, surprised. “It’s not easy, being this obvious and living in a small town. I’ve been bullied, beaten up, the cops have come after me. See, you pinning me isn’t the worst thing that’s happened to me by a long shot. And I don’t stay in the closet, I’m never going to. They can throw me off the bridge if they want, but I’ll take one down with me.”

Liam didn’t know what to say back, shocked by how matter of fact Louis was. “I know, I don’t look tough. But you learn, or you keep a gun with you. Lots of people do.” 

“I should get one, I didn’t have any of my own, just what they gave me.” Liam felt a pang at saying that, remembering what he’d lost, but it didn’t seem as sharp. “I’ll talk to Bob tomorrow. But I don’t know about the rest. And you seem pretty keen on keeping me here. Why?”

Louis looked down at his hands, not saying anything for a minute. Then he said “I don’t know. Maybe I just like you.” Louis looked up at him, and Liam reached out, touching Louis’ shoulder. “See, maybe it won’t be so bad, maybe you needed a change. I know it’s awful, how it happened, but you probably deserve better than being in the closet and fucking your superior officer. That couldn’t have led to anything.” 

“He was kind to me,” Liam said, still wanting to defend him. “We didn’t do anything I didn’t want. But he didn’t love me, he was clear about that.” Liam had to close his eyes for a minute, to try to keep the feelings in. The next thing he felt was Louis’ arms around him. “I’m not ready to think of getting kicked out as a blessing. Not yet.”

“You don’t have to then,” Louis said. “But we should sleep. It’s late, and I have to be up in a couple of hours. And you need to see about some work.” Then Louis kissed him, a short brush of lips against his, and turned the lamp off. “Sleep.”

“You’re not afraid?” He could easily have another nightmare, but Louis just turned over, his back facing Liam, and Liam got into bed with him. He figured that Louis would probably just let him have his nightmares without trying to stop them. That might be best. He laid down and tried to sleep.

It seemed like only fifteen minutes before he heard an alarm go off. He got up immediately, used to years of early risings, and found Louis at the ancient-looking coffeepot. “I don’t need any,” Liam said, stretching his arms over his head. He put on a pair of underpants, and stretched some more. “Do you want the shower first?” He didn’t want to talk about last night, not yet. From the bleary look Louis gave him, he didn’t look up to it either.

“Don’t want to take one together? All right then, I’ll go first.” Louis started the coffee maker and then look off for the bathroom. Liam watched him go, and then started doing his morning push-ups. They might not be talking about last night, but he was thinking about it. He went through his exercises while Louis showered. After a while, Louis came out, his hair combed but not really fixed. “I should have brought some hairspray with me. Oh well, I can fix it in the back room at work. Your turn.”

“Thanks,” Liam said, and he wondered if the intimacy of last night was gone. He went and showered quickly, then dried off, coming back out in his shorts. He got dressed as Louis watched him. When he was ready, he turned to Louis. “I’m giving you a ride to work, right?”

“Yes, if you want to,” Louis said, smiling at him over his cup. “Sorry, I don’t talk much in the morning.” Liam got his keys, and they went out the door. “I’ll tell you how to get there, it’s not far. It’s down the main road.” Liam nodded and they got in the car, following Louis’ directions. It only took a few minutes, and then they were in front of a small hairdresser shop, a brick building with a neon sign in the window. 

“So,” Liam said. “I’m going to see Bob his afternoon. Do you think I’ll see you again?”

“We can meet for dinner if you want to,” Louis said, smiling softly. “I’m glad, that you want to, and that you’re thinking of staying for a while.” Liam felt himself smile.

“I’m not making any promises for how long I’ll stay,” he said. “But you’re right, I think. I need to move on with the next part of my life. It’s not how I wanted to do it, but…” Louis nodded, and Liam leaned in, kissing his cheek. “Go on to work, what time do you get off? I’ll come by then.” 

“Around six o’clock. We can eat at the barbeque joint, I haven’t been kicked out of there, and the owner is my cousin.” Liam laughed a bit and Louis raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think I was lying about fighting back, did you?”

“I didn’t,” Liam said honestly. “It’s just funny how open you are about it.” Liam knew he could hold his own in a fight, but he wouldn’t pick one with Louis-he was feisty. “Okay, off to work with you. I’ll see you tonight.” 

“Looking forward to it,” Louis said, and winked at him, before getting out of Liam’s car and heading inside the salon. Liam watched him for a minute, then took off. 

…

Liam showed up at the bar around one pm, and waited for Bob. There was a woman with brown curly hair cleaning up the tables, and she smiled at him. “Hey. Bob’s out to look over the construction site a bit, he’ll be back soon.” Her voice was deep, and when she got close Liam could see an Adam’s apple. He nodded, and declined the offer of a beer while he waited. 

About an hour later, Bob showed up. Liam had found a book from a shelf of them over near the bathrooms, and he looked up from it to see Bob standing over him, smiling. “You like the lending library?” he said. “You can borrow it as long as you like, either bring it back or leave another book to replace it.” 

“That’s great, I’ve never seen that before,” Liam said, and shook Bob’s hand. “The nice young lady here told me you might be a while.” 

Bob grinned, his eyes crinkling up. “Yes, that’s my wife. She helps me with my businesses. So, do you have any construction experience?” Liam talked about helping his father and doing some in the summers as a teen, and Bob nodded, not seeming either put off or impressed. They kept talking, and Bob said “What have you been doing most recently?”

Liam paused, and wished he’d had a beer after all. “I was a Marine,” he said. “I was discharged.” Bob nodded in understanding, and Liam kept going. “So I’m strong, I follow orders well, and I can learn new things quickly. The only thing is, I don’t know how long I’ll be staying here. So maybe for now, I could just take day work?”

Bob looked him over, and then nodded. “I think so, can you start tomorrow? We’ll start you on simple stuff until we can see what you can do. It’s not bad work for construction, and if you decide to stay, there’s a community college if you want to learn welding or electrician work.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Liam said, and he smiled at his new boss. Bob then turned and asked Harry to bring them both beers, to celebrate, and Liam smiled wider. Maybe things would be okay.

…

Liam got back to the salon at about ten till six, and waited for Louis with his car idling. After a few minutes Louis came through the door, brushing his hair out of his eyes, and bounced into Liam’s car. “I’m glad you’re here, I was afraid you’d stand me up. The restaurant not far, it’s a block down and on the left. Did you get it?” 

“Yeah, I’m going to do some basic construction for a bit. Bob’s going to try me out for a couple of days, and then hire me properly. He asked to see my ID and Social, so he must be serious.” Liam put the car in gear and started heading toward the diner. Louis reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

“See? Things are looking up.” Liam didn’t say that taking day construction work wasn’t that great after losing his steady Marine pay and chances for promotion. Louis seemed to want him to look on the bright side. “There’s the place.” Liam turned into a small white-painted concrete building. Smoke billowed out of the top, and Louis grinned. “My cousin makes great ‘que, you should have some.”

“Might be nice,” Liam agreed, and he parked the car. The two of them went inside. There was a counter, and on the side, a steam table full of vegetables and a few meats. Louis went to the counter. “Jim! You back there?” 

A sweaty man with a grease-stained apron came out of the back. “Lou, nice to see you. Who’s your new friend?” Jim gave Liam a look that was more curious than disgusted, so Liam nodded at him.

“This is Liam, he’s new in town. Bob gave him some day work. We’re gonna sit over here and look at the menu, I just wanted to say hi. Oh, and mom says she’s having you over this Sunday, no excuses.” Jim laughed and agreed to come by, and shook Liam’s hand before heading back. Louis took two menus from the counter and led him to a booth.

“You introduced me to a member of your family. I’ve only been here about a day.” Liam tried to make eye contact with Louis, but he just looked at the menu, his shoulder going up in a shrug. “You introduce your cousin to all of your tricks then?” 

That got Louis to look up, and he met Liam’s gaze unflinchingly. “I do if I think they’re worth the effort. Pick something to eat, the slow-cooked pork sandwich is really good. So are the fries, they’re not even frozen, he’s got a guy peeling potatoes all day, poor fucker.” 

“What if I wind up moving on in a few days, Louis? What then?” Liam had lost everything he had just a few days ago, and Louis seemed to want to make him a home here, in the middle of nowhere. He barely knew Louis, he barely knew this town. “What happens when you get sick of me?”

Louis nodded, as if considering what Liam was saying. “Well, if you stay and nothing else happens for us physically then I make a friend out of you. But if you go, then I hug you goodbye and wish the best for you. But I want you to stay. Maybe I’m selfish, but I think our people have made this into a pretty good place.” 

_Our people_. Liam wasn’t used to thinking about it like that. “This town’s small. You’ve said yourself it can be dangerous for you. Why do you stay, maybe that’s the question I should be asking.” Liam looked at the menu, he thought he might want the open-faced pork sandwich and fries. 

“My mother’s here. All my family really. That’s one big reason-I make enough money to support myself and to give them a little. I have a lot of siblings and no stepfathers in the house at present, so they need money.” Louis looked up at him. “You order up front, now that you’ve had time to look. I know what I want.”

“Me too,” Liam said, and they went to order, Liam getting a combo beef and pork plate, Liam his sandwich. Liam got an ice water and Louis rolled his eyes, ordering a Coke. When they sat back down Liam drank his water in silence for a while. Then he said “I met Bob’s wife. That’s what she likes to be called, right?” Louis nodded. “I liked her. What should I call her?”

“Her name,” Louis answered back, and Liam glared at him. “Which happens to be Harry. She’s never changed it, it’s her birth name. She came here from a town over, and she does drag at the bar a bit. I know she has contact with her mom and sister, but I don’t know about the rest. But she’s happy. She’s been with Bob two years now. There’s an age difference, but nothing that bad.”

“That’s good then,” Liam said, and sipped his water. He was in the habit of ordering it, since when he was a Marine he needed the fluids. He would have to get used to not being a Marine anymore. He thought about Sgt. Hurley, and sighed to himself. Then their food came, and Liam was glad for the interruption. 

They ate their food silently, Louis removing the pickles from his plate and Liam taking them. He liked pickles, and the gesture made Louis smile. Liam’s plate was excellent, and the friench fries were excellent as well. “Your cousin runs a good place,” Liam said, and Louis beamed. 

“I worked here as a teenager, but not for long. I was far too obvious, and when people made fun of me I would cuss them out. So I was bad counter help.” Louis swiped his French fry through a pool of ketchup, seemingly undisturbed by what he was saying. 

“It’s amazing, how you talk about this. Like it doesn’t bother you.” Liam had been interrogated for hours when the Marine brass were investigating him. He remembered when one of them called him a faggot and he didn’t know if he wanted to punch the man or break down into tears. And Louis just acted like these things were nothing. 

“Oh it bothers me all right. I just know I don’t deserve it.” Louis sipped some of his Coke. “Everything they say, it just proves how ignorant they are. I’ve had guys call me a faggot until they were blue in the face, and then once they were drunk, try to pick me up. It’s hilarious.” 

“Hope you didn’t go home with them,” Liam said and Louis grinned, all sharp canines and mischief.

“Never. I do have standards.” Louis batted his eyes at Liam. “I might like sweet, muscular boys on the run, for instance.” 

Liam looked down at his plate, embarrassed. “That’s how you see me? That’s nice.” Liam didn’t feel like he’d been particularly sweet to Louis. “I just feel lost, myself.” He ate more of his dinner. “Who’s paying for this, anyway?”

“I will, I have my tips today. You can pay for the next if you’re still here tomorrow.” Liam didn’t say anything, but he thought Louis was assuming an awful lot. On the other hand, he didn’t have anyone else to spend time with. 

“I’ll probably just work tomorrow and go back to my motel room. If you want to see me, you know where it is.” Liam finished off his plate. “I think I should go back there, actually.” He wanted some time alone, something he hadn’t had much of in the Marines. Louis went up front to pay, and Liam waited for him. “Where do you live? I can drop you off.” 

“I can’t go back with you? That would be fun, if last night’s any indication.” They go back to Liam’s car and he got in, then unlocked Louis’ door for him. He wasn’t sure how he felt about fucking Louis two times in a row. Louis seemed a bit clingy, even though he’s been very good to him.

“I might want to be alone a bit,” he says. “But you can leave me your phone number. But for now, I want to take you to where you live.” Louis didn’t say anything, but he dug through his jean pockets for a piece of paper. “Um, and again, tell me how to get to your place.” 

“Go two blocks, turn left at Morning Glory Street, then a block, then right on Pansy. I live on Pansy Street, isn’t that fitting?” Louis settled back into his seat and was silent, letting Liam drive. When they go down Pansy Street Louis said “The apartments on the left, the run-down looking ones.” Liam stopped in front of them, squinting at them. They didn’t look so bad compared to barracks.

“Thanks,” Louis said. “Go back to your motel room and have some alone time. Do you have a pen? Here’s my number.” Louis wrote his number on the piece of paper, then tore off a corner. “Write your motel room number here if you know it.” 

“Not sure if I do,” Liam said, but he wrote down what he thought the number was. Louis took the paper and shoved it into his jeans pocket. Then he looked through the rearview mirror, then leaned in for a quick kiss. “Right. I’ll see you soon. I’m going to take a nap or something.” 

“Okay. See you later.” Louis got out of his car and went up the outside stairs to his apartment. Liam watched until Louis closed his front door, then started the car again. He looked to the side and there was a boy of about ten staring at him. Liam nodded and the boy screwed up his face in disgust. Liam left then.

Liam did nap a bit, his nightmares had messed up his sleep. He didn’t stay asleep long, his former schedule didn’t allow a lot of naps. So he went back to doing exercise, mindlessly, something to do. When that numbed his mind a bit, he turned on the TV.

He was asleep during an episode of Hill Street Blues when he was awakened by a loud knock on the door. He opened it to find Louis standing there with a paper bag in his arms. “What are you doing here? We’ve already had dinner.” 

“Let me in,” Louis said, and Liam got out of his way, closing the door. Louis put a bottle of Jack and two Cokes on the dresser next to the TV, and put the empty bag on the floor. “I’m sorry. I had to see you again.”

“Why? You had no idea I existed until last night. What is it that I do for you? I have a lot to figure out, and you won’t let me do it in peace. You keep wanting to be a part of it and I don’t understand why.” Louis grabbed a Coke and twisted the top off, sitting on Liam’s bed. He took a drink, still looking at Liam. 

“I like you. I know I don’t really know you, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want you to go to Miami and try to find your way around there, I want you to stay here with me and my friends. I don’t want you to think there’s something wrong with you because the Marines kicked you out. You’re better off out of there-think of what happened in Lebanon. That could’ve been you. And there’s a lot better than fucking your superior officer, especially since he doesn’t seem to have lifted a finger to help you.”

“You don’t know that, maybe he did. He couldn’t have done anything that would have put him in danger-“ Liam stopped there. That was true, but the fact was he had risked Liam’s safety even as he protected his own. “Fuck. Still, I don’t really know you. I don’t know what you want from me.” 

“Company, mainly. And sex if you like. And I don’t know, maybe you’ll grow to like me. Hand the Jack bottle over?” Liam grabbed the bottle and gave it to Louis, who held the Coke between his thighs as he got the bottle open, then carefully poured some of the Jack in the Coke bottle. “Here, now you have some.”

“Are things that boring here? You had to get your own pet Marine to help?” Liam did what Louis did, drinking some of the Coke out and then replacing it with Jack. Then he sat next to him. “I’m sorry if you’re life is boring, but I don’t know if I can help with that.”

“You’re not a pet, Leeyum.” Louis sipped more of his Jack and Coke. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m doing really, but I don’t want you to leave. My other friends have partners, I just have myself and my family. I love my family, but I want more.”

“I don’t even have my family anymore, I just have me.” Liam didn’t want to feel sorry for himself, so he tried drinking his cocktail to cover it. It didn’t help, and he found himself crying, just a bit. “Sorry, sorry,” Liam said, and then he felt Louis’ delicate fingers wiping at his eyes. 

“That’s right, you have you. And that’s fine Liam, that’s all you really need. But if you stay, you can have more than that, you can have friends. All the gay people here know each other, we look out for each other, you’ll be okay here. I can’t say that it will be perfect, but it could be good.” Louis leaned into Liam’s space, and Liam put an arm around him. 

“Where do I stay? I can’t stay in this motel forever, it’ll get expensive.” He wasn’t sure why he was humoring this, but he had nowhere else to go. And Louis was nice to be around, even if his Marine self would have been embarrassed by how obvious he was. He supposed that didn’t matter now.

“You’re going to be bringing some money in, but there’s cheap apartments around here, and an even cheaper motel if you don’t have the money for the deposit yet.” Liam nodded and Louis kissed his neck. “I can show you cheap places to eat, places with a kitchenette if you cook.”

“No really, but I’d like a microwave,” Liam said, and God, he was considering it. Louis was very persuasive, it seemed. He turned his head and kissed Louis’ hair. That got him a low pleased sound that sounded very much like a purr. “Are you going to spend the night again? You might need to bring some clothes. And how did you get here?”

“Walked,” Louis said, and his voice sounded a little dreamy. “I couldn’t stand to stay in my apartment alone another minute. You asked me for space, and I tried, but I wound up coming back. If you leave, I don’t know what I’d do.” Liam rubbed over Louis’ shoulder.

“Don’t say that. If I leave you’ll probably be just fine. You just met me. I’m probably not what you think I am. And it’s alright, I had a couple of hours and that’s what I needed.” Louis pulled back far enough to look at Liam, his face serious. Then he came in for a kiss. Liam thought it would be on the mouth, but instead it was a soft one to his cheek. 

“You’re gonna be okay Liam,” he said softly, and Liam came in to kiss him, the local news on in the background. Liam opened to the kiss, thinking about how Sgt. Hurley never kissed him on the mouth. Louis touched his tongue to Liam’s, tasting like whiskey and cola. Liam pulled away long enough to put his drink down, and Louis grinned and did the same. 

They made out on the bed for a while, fully clothed and only touching above the waist. Liam had never really done this, and he felt himself relax. “Are you staying again?” Liam asked when Louis pulled back. “What if I have another nightmare?” 

“I’d like to. I changed clothes before I came here, and it wasn’t all that hot so I’m not smelly. And I’m not afraid of you Liam. If you start to get loud in your sleep I’ll move to the chair. But as long as I don’t wake you, I don’t think there will be a problem.” He moved to kiss Liam again, and Liam let him. They kept kissing slowly, until Louis pulled back again.

“Do you want me to fuck you again?” Liam wouldn’t mind, but Louis shook his head. “Why not?”

“I’d just rather not. I get sore if it’s two nights in a row. But I can suck you off again, if you want.” Liam nodded and Louis grinned, lighting up his face. He started pulling Liam’s sweatpants down, kissing his hip before wrapping a hand around Liam’s cock and fitting his mouth over it. Liam laid down, boneless, and let Louis work him over. It didn’t seem to take long before he was on the edge. 

“Louis,” he said, raising his head. “Don’t swallow.” Louis hummed around him, and pulled off just before Liam came. Liam closed his eyes, head thumping back on the bed. “Oh God,” he said, and Louis giggled.

“Got some come on your shirt, I’m sorry. Laundry’s not far from here.” Liam opened his eyes and saw Louis smiling down at him, looking smug. “Don’t worry, I don’t swallow. Thanks for warning me.” Louis moved so he was cuddled against Liam’s side. “You gonna do me back, or do you not do that?”

“I do,” Liam said, rolling over to kiss Louis. “Get your clothes off and I’ll take care of you.” Liam thought about asking why Louis thought he wouldn’t, then figured he might look like the kind that wouldn’t give back. “I’ve done it plenty of times,” he said. _With my superior_ , is what he doesn’t say. He thinks it might be time he left the past behind him.

Louis grinned and quickly got undressed, then flopped back down on the bed. Liam kissed him and moved down, taking his cock in hand. When he leaned in and licked the head, Louis made a pleased sound, and Liam felt spurred on, so he took more. Louis grunted and put a hand on the back of his head, fingers scratching through the buzzed hair.

Liam did the best he could. He did do this quite a bit, so he knew what to do. Only trouble was, all his experience had been with one person. But it wasn’t hard to learn what Louis liked, and some things were universal, like giving the head a lot of attention. After a while, Louis made an urgent noise and Liam pulled off just in time, Louis spurting over his hand.

Liam scooted back up to see if Louis was okay. He had his eyes closed but looked blissful, so Liam kissed him and then went to get a washcloth. He got them both cleaned up, and then started burrowing into bed as Nightline came on. “Time to sleep. Have to be there at eight tomorrow, and I don’t even know where it is exactly.”

“It’s about a mile away, I think. I know Bob probably gave you instructions.” That was true, and Liam had them written down. “Don’t worry, this town isn’t that big and it’s hard to get lost. Now cuddle me, I want to sleep.”

“Hold on,” Liam said, and he turned the TV off and turned off the lamp. Louis faced him this time, and Liam put an arm around him. “Why me, Lou? Why do you want to keep me here?” He didn’t know why, didn’t know who would want him now that his secret was exposed.

“You keep asking that,” Louis said. “Maybe I want you to be happy. Maybe I want myself to be happy. And maybe if you stay, there’s a chance of both of those happening. Let’s sleep now.” Louis cuddled him, head on Liam’s chest, and started breathing deep. Liam followed his example, listening to his breath, wondering how many times they would sleep like this. 

He fell asleep not knowing the answer.


End file.
